The present invention relates to the preparation of halogenated polyolefins. More particularly, the invention relates to an improved method for chlorinating polyethylene and polypropylene in aqueous suspension.
The patent and journal literature is replete with descriptions of various methods for preparing chlorinated polyolefins. In general, however, the description merely states that the polyolefin is chlorinated in aqueous suspension by introducing a stream of chlorine gas beneath the liquid level of the suspension. In the absence of a method for efficiently dispersing the chlorine gas in the suspension, the chlorination is not as efficient nor the product as uniform as it would be if the chlorine were better dispersed. The present invention provides an improved method for the introduction of chlorine gas into an aqueous suspension of a polyolefin.